Wednesday 12 October 2011

The Stress Test as an Effective Diagnostic Resource in Medicine

By Athena Hunter


Nuclear stress tests involve the use of low dosage radioactive chemicals in heart stress tests. The idea behind the test is get a clear representation of blood flow through the heart.

If there are current symptoms of heart disease, then a cardiac stress test might be give to look for blockage in the arteries of your cardiovascular system. Stress tests are very crucial because lots of time people do not show obvious symptoms when they are in a relaxed state. Or, any other smaller problems that are not diagnosed because the heart is not in a stressed environment. That really only makes sense in many ways because just like any other system, the issues are not seen until there are more demands placed upon it.

Your heart must have the capability of performing if placed under excessive load. There are many reasons a doctor could order a stress test, but all of them are to ensure you have a normal, healthy heart. The non-nuclear stress test, namely the one involving exercise, is still used extensively in the medical field. A treadmill isn't the only exercise equipment used as it can be replaced by a stationary bike. In order to watch the heart's electrical activity during the test, leads are connected to the patient's chest. The normalcy of the heart and its health will be revealed in an ECG. The doctor will also be able to see in the ECG if you are having trouble with your heart. There is a variety of different situations that could compel your doctor to have you undergo a stress test. Doctors don't want to overlook anything. Most doctors find that this test will either confirm suspicions of heart disease or eliminate it as an option. It is very common when there are other symptoms or factors of heart disease present. Then, yet another situation is when a patient has greater than normal risk factors associated with heart disease. Sometimes people can have symptoms that could be caused by different conditions, and in that case a regular stress test may be helpful.

Cardiolite and Myoview are brand names of two combinations of these nuclear isotopes. Much depends on the specific method employed for the test, and another common name for a specific type is the dual isotope stress test. Since the healthy part of the heart will absorb more of this radioactive tracer, it will be clearly visible to doctors after a scan.

The nuclear stress test is a critical instrument for doctors to determine whether the heart has any problems. You should ask your doctor everything you can think of if you need to get one of these tests done on you. You should ask these questions to determine what your specific condition is as well as to increase your knowledge of your specific case.




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